The Hypo-Chondri-Cat
The Hypo-Chondri-Cat is a 1950 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles M. Jones. Plot Bert and Hubie help themselves to a warm fire and some cheese in their new home, until they encounter Claude Cat. A chase then ensues, but Claude freezes up before he passes an open window. Fearing he might catch pneumonia, he pops pills and takes his temperature. Realizing he's a hypochondriac, both mice play up on this by suggesting Claude is turning himself all sorts of colors (including tartan!) before dismissing him as a hopeless case. Claude breaks down and persuades the mice to save his life. Claude ends up in an operating theatre, where the mice prepare a fake operation by slicing up some cheese. Believing them to be operating on himself, Claude passes out in "pain" and goes into a surrealistic nightmare. Claude reawakens, not realizing he's wearing a white gown and fake wings. He sees Bert and Hubie crying over his grave, and the pair are in "shock" when they see him as a "ghost". With the aid of an x-ray machine, he believes them and begs again for their help. They lead him to a cliff with a sign pointing to "cat Heaven," but despite him saying he can't fly, they shove him off the cliff. Claude does fly, but he doesn't realize that they tied a helium balloon to his back. "Farewell, you poor earthly creatures", says Claude to the mischievous rodents as he flies towards the moon. Censorship On ABC the part where Hubie slaps Bertie several times is shortened.http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-h.aspx Deleted Ending According to the storyboard (included as a bonus feature on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 DVD set), this cartoon originally was to have had one more scene at the end, which didn't appear in the final cut; As Claude Cat floats via balloon to "Cat Heaven," Hubie and Bertie are shown inside the house, in front of the fireplace, roasting cheese clumps (shaped like marshmallows) on toothpicks. Claude is seen through the window, blissfully drifting skyward https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk01qu. Goofs * When Claude falls down on the floor to grab Hubie and Bertie's tails, He is still wearing a scarf but in the next shot, it's missing for the rest of the episode. Availability * (1985) VHS - Foghorn Leghorn's Fractured Funnies (Blue Ribbon print) * (2003) DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc 3 (1998 dubbed print) * (2003) DVD - Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 1, Disc One (1998 dubbed print) * (2012) Blu-ray, DVD - Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles, Disc 2 (original opening Color Rings restored) References Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts Category:Hubie and Bertie Cartoons Category:Shorts Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones Category:1950 Category:Claude Cat Cartoons Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Stan Freberg Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Gribbroek Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Philip DeGuard Category:Blue Ribbon reissues Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist